Can hamsters eat nuts?
Yes, but only a little: hamsters can eat nuts. PDSA lists nuts as an occasional treat. They are high in fat: Woodgreen suggests a small piece of unsalted walnut or hazelnut now and then, and the German Animal Welfare Federation calls them a rare treat. Salted nuts are unsuitable.
How to serve it: unsalted, a small piece; the Swiss animal welfare society also suggests a nut in its shell now and then
Good to know: The Royal Veterinary College lists seed- and nut-based treats given in excess as a cause of obesity.
Sources
- PDSA – Hamsters as pets (What do hamsters eat?, FAQs)
- Woodgreen Pets Charity – Hamster food: what to feed your hamster
- TVT Merkblatt Nr. 156: Heimtiere – Goldhamster (2025)
- Deutscher Tierschutzbund – Die Haltung von Goldhamstern (Broschüre)
- Schweizer Tierschutz STS – Merkblatt Goldhamster (2018)
- Royal Veterinary College – Syrian Hamster Care Advice (2020)
Last checked: November 2026